Click on the Link First to follow along. It lists the 31 elements of stories that Propp identified, plus their symbol, interpretations, and discussion. It's a method to analyze Folktales and Fairy Tales. Works well for Disney movies.
There is darkness but sounds of
nature can be heard. Birds are chirping in the vicinity. Suddenly, the sun,
bigger than most have ever seen, rises above the horizon and pierces the
darkness with its orange rays, and a Zulu chant fills the previously peaceful
atmosphere, “Nants ingonyama bagithi baba. Sithi uhhmm ingonyama…” In
translation, it means, “There comes a lion. Oh yes, it's a lion…” Birds fly
across the Zambezi river as elephants walk by a mountain in the distance,
possibly emulated to be Mount. Kilimanjaro. Herds of antelope and zebra gallop
with purpose and a baby giraffe, walking with its mother, overcomes a hill and
gazes into the vast distance of the savannah. All the animals are headed
towards one direction: Pride Rock. There on top of the rock, the king Mufasa
stands proudly as Zazu, his Red-billed Hornbill messenger, lands and greets
Mufasa. A baboon named Rafiki arrives and also greets the king. Mufasa and his
queen, Sarabi, have had a cub. Rafiki cracks open a fruit and marks the inners
of the fruit onto the cub’s forehead. After tossing some dirt onto his forehead
and the cub lets out a sneeze, Rafiki carries the cub, walks towards the
precipice of the overarching rock, and raises the cub for all the animal
spectators to see. All the animals erupt into noise to cheer and bow towards
the cub named Simba who is the destined future king.
That opening scene is well known
as “The Circle of Life”. It was the presentation of Mufasa’s son and future
king. All the animals were present except for Mufasa’s brother, Scar. The Absentation
of the 1st sphere or Introduction occurs here. After the morning ceremony,
Mufasa and Zazu pay a visit to Scar to demand for an explanation for missing
the ceremony as seen when Mufasa vehemently states, “Sarabi and I didn’t see
you at the presentation of Simba.” It is here where we first are introduced to
Scar and understand his lack and desire for power and to become king. Scar cunningly
responds by sarcastically saying, “That was today? Oh, I feel simply awful (as
he scratches his nails against a rock wall). Must have slipped my mind”. As their
conversation ends, there is an interdiction for Mufasa as Scar states, “Oh no
Mufasa, perhaps you shouldn’t turn your back me”. It is also in this scene we
can see Scar’s cunning intelligence and trickster nature when he proudly
reminds Mufasa, “Well as far as brains go, I got the lion’s share, but when it
comes to brute strength, then I’m afraid I’m at the shallow end of the gene
pool”. The actual interdiction for Simba comes when Mufasa and Simba sit on top
of Pride Rock and Mufasa is showing Simba their entire kingdom. Young Simba
inquires about the shadowy place: “That’s beyond our borders. You must never go
there Simba”. Mufasa continues to teach young Simba about the importance of
understanding his duties as king. “Everything you see exists in a delicate
balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all
creatures…” After Mufasa leaves to deal with hyenas in the Pride lands, Simba
states his frustration and desire to explore as seen when he exasperates, “I
never get to go anywhere”. The reconnaissance, delivery, trickery, and
complicity all come before the violation of the interdiction. Scar, the
villain, seeks to be king and in the next scene when Simba excitedly tells Scar
about his future kingdom, Scar takes his chance to deceive young Simba. His
trickery is as seen in their conversation: “So, your father showed you the
whole kingdom did he? Everything! He
didn’t show you what’s beyond that rise of the northern border? Well no, he said I can’t go there. And
he’s absolutely right! Far too dangerous, only the bravest lions go there. Well I’m brave. What’s out there? Well I’m
sorry Simba, I just can’t tell you. Why not?
Simba, Simba, I’m only looking out for the well-being of my favorite nephew. Yeah right, I’m your only nephew. All the
more reason to be protective, an elephant graveyard is no place for a young
prince. Ooopps! An elephant what?! Oh
dear, I’ve said too much! Well I suppose you would have found out sooner or
later, you being so clever and all. Just do me one thing, promise me you’ll
never visit that dreadful place. No problem.
That’s a good lad. You run along now and have fun. Remember, it’s our little
secret”.
After running off, Simba goes to
find his best friend, Nala to tell her about an elephant graveyard. The unwitting
complicity is seen when Simba and Nala ditches Zazu who was suppose to be their
chaperone throughout the “I just can’t wait to be king” song through the help
of a parade of animals. As they begin to explore the elephant graveyard, Zazu
finds them but trouble has arrived. Scar has sent three spotted hyenas, Shenzie,
Banzai, and Ed, to kill the cubs. The cubs are trapped and are about to be
killed when Mufasa overpowers the three hyenas and says, “If you ever come near
my son again…”. And so that was the violation of the interdiction.
The 2nd sphere begins
with Villainy and lack and is seen when Scar finds out that he will need another
plan in order to become king and the unavoidable necessity: to kill Mufasa. Banzai:
“Well you know, it wasn’t like they were alone Scar. What are we supposed to
do? Kill Mufassa?” Scar: “Precisely”. This scene follows with the song “Be
Prepared”. The Mediation does not occur until the very end of the film. Even
near the end of the film, Simba believes he is responsible for his father’s
tragedy. Instead of a counteraction and departure, there is another set of
trickery. Scar is walking with Simba in the gorge and tells Simba, “Now you
wait here. Your father has a marvelous surprise for you…well, I’ll go get him”
and when Simba replies, “I’ll go with you”, Scar persuades him to stay with the
guilt ploy: “You wouldn’t want to end up in another mess like you did with the
hyenas”. This guilt ploy convinces Simba to stay on the rock and by doing so
unwittingly complies. While waiting on the rock, young Simba mocked Scar’s
taunt, “huh, little roar”, and Simba practices his roar. On his third attempt,
he lets out his loudest roar yet, although still incomparable to that of Mufasa’s.
Surprised himself, he smiles and looks up a cliff, only to feel the ground
beneath him to shake. A gigantic herd of wilder beast chased by Scar’s three
hyena followers runs down the cliff down into the ravine where Simba is
momentarily paralyzed with fear. Simba’s eyes widen and he takes off running. However,
his tiny size does not allow him to outrun the full-grown wilder beasts. This is
the scene where Mufasa is warned by Scar that Simba is in danger and after
Simba is safe on a ledge and Mufasa is on a precipice, out of Simba’s view,
Scar devilishly says with glee, “long live the king”, and aids in Mufasa’s fall
to the king’s death. Simba sees his father’s fall but not Scar’s push and
believes he is responsible for his father’s death for putting himself in a
dangerous situation that resulted in Mufasa’s death. Scar tells Simba to “run,
run away and never return”. When Simba has ran off and turned a corner, he
instructs Shenzie, Banzai, and Ed to kill Simba. Simba narrowly escapes and
runs as far he can away, ridden with guilt and shame.
Now the third sphere begins. Testing:
Simba must survive in self-exile as he can’t go home. The next scene with Simba
depicts him lying on the desert ground passed out from heat and exhaustion. It
is here when Timon and Pumbaa, find Simba passed out and get him into the shade
by an oasis and wakes him up. Simba, dejected, responds to Timon’s question of:
“hey, where are you going?” with “Nowhere”. And when Timon further inquires
with, “So, where are you from?”, Simba gloomily responds with, “who cares, I can’t
go back”. The acquisition of the magical item is when Timon and Pumbaa tells Simba
about their philosophy which is known as “Hakuna Matata” or better yet, “it
means no worries for the rest of your days…it’s our problem free, philosophy”. The
Guidance is seen during the Hakuna Matata song where Timon and Pumbaa show Simba
where they live. They live “wherever they want” but it is in a jungle/ forest
(belly of the whale) where grub is as delicious and nutritious as you can get. This
is where young Simba remains and grows into his adolescent, teen, and early
adulthood years.
There are two scenes of struggle.
The struggle is initially with Simba himself as evidenced in a scene where
Timon, Pumbaa, and adult Simba are lying on the grass at night looking up at the
stars. Timon and Pumbaa both give what they think the “stars” are and when it’s
Simba’s turn to share, he hesitates. After telling his two friends: “Well,
somebody once told me, that the great kings of the past are up there, watching
over us” in a voice indicative of something more than he’s saying, Timon and
Pumbaa erupt in laughter in an unintentional yet hurtful way. Simba then
mutters in a quieter voice, “haha yeah, pretty dumb huh”, though it’s obvious
from the viewer’s perspective that his running from his past is killing him
inside. Simba quickly walks off, looks up at the sky, and collapses from
emotional pain.
The second struggle is not
between the villain and the hero either. It is in fact between Simba and when
fate allowed, his best childhood friend, Nala. Although they met under pure
chance, and their childhood love for each other developed into romantic
interest in the emotionally powerfully Can you Feel the Love Tonight scene,
Simba is afterwards confronted with his predicament that he has been running
from for so long. He is facing the predicament of facing his responsibilities and
taking his place in the circle of life versus his feelings of guilt and shame. This
is evidenced throughout several dialogues, several with Nala, and the one with
Rafiki. Simba: “No, no I’m not the king. Maybe I was going to be but that was a
long time ago”. “So many things to tell her, but how to make her see, the truth
about my past, impossible, she’d turn away from me…” and lastly with Nala and Simba’s
dialogue: Nala: “But I don’t understand something, you’ve been alive all this
time. Why didn’t you come back to Pride Rock?” and Simba can only respond, “I
can’t go back, you wouldn’t understand…sometimes bad things happen and there’s
nothing you can do about it, so why worry?” Nala vehemently presses: “Because
it’s your responsibility…I left to find help. And I found you. Don’t you
understand? You’re our only hope” to which Simba only says, “sorry”.
The victory is seen after Rafiki
talks some sense into Simba after Simba storms off from his argument with Nala.
The Villain isn’t defeated but there is a resolution. Mufasa comes to Simba through
the heavens and reminds Simba that, “You must take your place in the circle of
life…remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king”. “I know what
I have to do but going back means I’ll have to face my past. I’ve been running
from it for so long”. After saying this, Rafiki immediately strikes him on the
head with his staff. Simba reacts: “Oww, geez, what was that for?” to which
Rafiki responds, “it doesn’t matter, it’s in the past”. Simba replies, “Yeah,
but it still hurts”. Rafiki acknowledges his pain with, “Yes, the past can hurt,
but the way I see it, you can either run from it, or, learn from it”. It is now
Simba decides that he is going back to Pride Rock.
The 4th sphere begins
with Simba’s return home. Simba is not chased by any villain but after Nala
finds out from Rafiki that the king has returned, the four of them pursue Simba
to aid him in his battle against Scar. The pursuit ends with Nala, Timon, and
Pumbaa discussing with Simba about what a desolate land his Pride Rock has
become and how they plan to take down Scar. Simba arrives unrecognized as
demonstrated after Scar slaps Sarabi and she is knocked down to the side. Scar
mistakes Simba for Mufasa as seen when he says, “Mufasa? No you’re dead”.
Recognition occurs immediately as Simba identifies himself and Scar and Sarabi
are surprised. Simba tells Scar to step down. Scar cunningly brings up his unfounded
claim that Simba is responsible for Mufasa’s death and Simba, still unknowning
of the truth, admits to being responsible. Scar uses this to intimidate Simba and
Simba backs up until he is hanging onto the overarching rock of Pride Rock. As Scar
plays stupid, he bends over and whispers Simba his little secret that, “I killed
Mufasa”. Upon hearing this, Simba with a surge of strength, pushes Scar and
overpowers Scar. Scar is forced to tell the truth to everyone and the battle ensues.
The task is now to fight for Pride Rock. Simba is attacked by some hyenas and
Scar slinks off. Rafiki joins the battle and attack several hyenas. Simba track
Scar down until Scar is trapped with nowhere to go. Scar begs for mercy and
tells Simba the hyenas are the real enemy and that they are responsible. Simba
does not believe him and tells Scar to “run, run away Scar, and never return”.
Scar begins to slink off when he tosses burnt dirt at his eyes. The final fight
ensues and Scar is kicked off a ledge. The hyenas confront him on his comment
of them being the enemy and finish off Scar, thus his punishment. The solution
has occurred as the fight is over. After greeting his fellow pride, Rafiki
tells Simba, “It is time” to ascend the ledge of Pride Rock. As he walks up,
rain washes away a dead skull and when he reaches the precipice overlooking the
Pride Lands, Mufasa’s voice saying, “Remember” can be heard while the cloudy
skies begin to depart. Simba roars to ring in his reign. This was Simba’s
transfiguration. Peace, order, and harmony is restored to the Pride Lands as
life returns. Animals gather to cheer for Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, and
Rafiki as they celebrate (wedding) the return of life to the Pride Lands and
the birth of Simba and Nala’s cub.
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